Roofing Information

1. Dark "dirty-looking" areas on your roof. Possible causes: Environmental pollutants; vegetation, fungus or algae growth; loss of granules due to age of shingles.
2. Missing cracked or curling shingles. Possible cause: Shingles have reached their useful life.
3. Leakage in attic after driving rain. Possible causes: Leaky or inadequate shingle underlayment; deteriorated flashing.
4. Roof shingle, sheathing and siding decay. Possible cause: Poor attic ventilation.
5. Blistering and/or peeling of outside paint. Possible cause: Excessive moisture or high humidity due to poor attic ventilation.
6. Stains on interior ceilings and walls or mold and mildew growth. Possible causes: Inadequate or faulty shingle underlayment allowing leakage, or inadequate ventilation.
7. Excessive energy costs. Possible causes: Insufficient attic ventilation causes heating/cooling system to run excessively

Grandstaff Roofing & Siding uses only the industry’s top brands for their roofing products and materials. We are proud to carry CertainTeed roofing products and matierals.

CertainTeed is a leading U.S. manufacturer of low slope and steep slope roofing products for commercial, industrial, institutional, and residential roofing and waterproofing applications.  CertainTeed has served the roofing industry for 100 years, establishing a solid reputation for quality, reliability, and technical innovation.

Q: How can a homeowner recognize when a roof is leaking?

A: Most often, roof problems are discovered after leaking or other serious damage has occurred. Periodic inspections can often reveal cracked, warped or missing shingles, loose seams, deteriorated flashings, and excessive surface granules accumulating in gutters or downspouts. Indoor damage can be detected by looking for cracked paint or discolored plasterboard.

Q: My roof is leaking. Do I need to have it totally replaced?

A: Not necessarily. Leaking can occur because some flashing ahs come loose or a section of the roof was damaged. Roof failure is generally irreversible and result from improper installation, choice of materials or inappropriate building of a roof system.

Q: How long can I expect my roof to last?

A: The lifespan of your roof will depend on the type of roof you have, the effect of your environment and maintenance, which your roof has received. Roofing manufacturers offer a variety of warranties on their products. Take an in depth look at those warranties to see what financial obligations they will cover if their products fail to reach their expected life time.

Q: What will a new roof cost?

A: The price of a new roof varies, depending on the type of material selected, the size of your home, labor rates, time of the year and the contractor doing the work. The cost is only one factor you must take into consideration the quality of materials and workmanship. We strongly recommend getting three different estimates from three different contractors.

 Roofing Terms

Algae Discoloration: A type of discoloration caused by algae.
Bundle: A package of shingles.
Caulk: A material used to prevent leaking.
Collar: Pre-fonned flange placed over a vent pipe to seal the roof around the vent pipe opening.
Counter Flashing: The portion of the flashing attached to a vertical surface to prevent water from migrating behind the base flashing.
Cricket: A peaked constnlction at the back of a chimney to prevent accumulation of snow and ice and to deflect water around the
   chimney.
Deck: The surface installed over the supporting framing member which the roofing is applied.
Dormer: A framed window unit projecting through the sloping plane of a roof.
Drip Edge: A non-corrosive, non staining material used along the eaves and rakes to allow water run off to drip clear of underlying
   construction.
Eaves: The horizontal, lower edge of a sloped roof.
Felt: Fibrous material saturated with asphalt and used an underlayrnent or sheathing paper.
Flashing: Pieces of metal or roll roofing used to prevent seepage of water into a building around any intersection or projection in a roof
   such as vent pipes, chimneys, adjoining walls, dormers and valleys.
Gable: The upper portion of a sidewall that comes to a triangular point at the ridge of a sloping roof.
Gable Roof: A type of roof containing sloping planes of the same pitch on each side of the ridge. Contains a gable at each end.
Granules: Ceramic coated colored crushed rock that is applied to the exposed surface of asphalt roofing products.
Hip: The inclined external angle formed by the intersection of two sloping planes of the same pitch on each of four sides. Contains no
   gables.
Hip Roof: A type of roof containing sloping planes of the same pitch on each of four sides. Contains no gables.
Ice Dam: Condition formed at the lower roof edge by the thavving and freezing of melted snow on the overhang. Can force water up
   and under shingles causing leaks.
Laminated Shingles: Strip shingles containing more than one layer of tabs to create extra thickness. Also called three dimensional
   shingles.
Mansard roof: A type of roof containing two sloping planes of different pitch on each of four sides. The lower plane has a much steeper
   pitch than the upper, often approaching vertical. Contains no gables.
Overhang: That portion of the roof structure that extends beyond the exterior walls of a building.
Pitch: The degree of roof incline expressed as the ratio of the rise in feet, to the span, in feet.
Rafter: The supporting framing member immediately beneath the deck, sloping from the ridge to the wall plate.
Rake: The inclined edge of a sloped roof over a wall from the eaves to the ridge.
Ridge: The upper horizontal external angle formed by the intersection of two sloping roof planes.
Sheathing: Exterior grade boards used as a roof deck material.
Square: A unit of roof measure covering 100 square feet.
Starter Strip: Asphalt roofing applied at the eaves that provide protection by filling in the spaces under the cutouts and joints of the
   first course of shingles.
Three Tab Shingle: The most popular type of asphalt shingle usually 12 x 36 in size with three tabs.
Valley: The internal angle formed by the intersection of two sloping roof planes to provide water run off.
Woven Valley: Method of valley construction in which shingles from both sides of the valley extend across the valley and are
   woven together by overlapping alternate courses as they are applied. The valley flashing is not exposed.

Coastal Metal Services: Metal Roofing

Ecostar: Synthetic Slate Roofing

Darrel Grandstaff is a CertainTeed Certified Quality Master.
Click below to see his certifications.

Click on picture for more images

Roofing Gallery